It’s always handy to have alcohol beverages stocked up at home for those all-important occasions. From birthdays, BBQ’s, parties, get-togethers, to just a random Wednesday evening after a day from hell at work.

Did you know that the way you store your alcohol can have an effect on the drink? Improper storage can leave you and your guests with an unpleasant taste and a much shorter shelf life to your beverages. Here are the best ways to store different types of alcohol to get the best from your liquor cabinet and wine rack.

Liquors

A bottle of liquor can be stored at room temperature whether it’s opened or unopened. So whether your preference is whisky, vodka or rum, it can be stored simply in a cupboard or on a shelf. Out of sunlight is best. However, untouched liquor will lose alcohol content and flavour. So it is definitely in your best interest to open it sharpish and get sipping.

It’s a common trend to keep light liquors like gin and vodka in the freezer. This doesn’t actually make them last any longer, it’s just great for extra chilled cocktails or Martinis.

It’s recommended to only keep liquor stored for 3-5 years maximum. Creamy and fruity liquors only have around 1 year before they start to go off. Always check the shelf life and expiration date on the bottles before pouring a glass or shaking up a cocktail.

Wine

Red and white wine require storage techniques to keep the robust flavours within. Wine cellars are ideal, but not always practical. So here is how you can store both types of wine without a cellar.

Red wine is often opened for a glass with dinner and then saved for another day, so correct storage is essential to keep the ideal taste. Opened or unopened red wine is best stored in a cool environment, around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Red wine that’s been allowed to get too warm will lose its vine-ripened flavour. The warmth also causes wooden corks to expand and let in air. This results in very bad tasting wine.

White wine isn’t made to last as long as red. However, it still requires cool temperature for storage. Sparkling wine, like champagne, needs to be kept a little cooler, around 40 degrees. Then, the best place to store once opened is in the fridge.

Both red and white wine should be re-corked after opened and to prevent cork dehydration. They should be stored in a rack lying sideways. This prevents the air seeping in and allows your wine to keep its great taste.

Once opened, full-bodied red and white wines are best to consume within 5 days and sparkling wines within 3 days.

Beer

Supermarket brought beer can be kept in the fridge for a maximum of around six months and still be fine to drink, perfect for a quick grab. However, craft beer requires a completely different storage system because they benefit from a maturation process.

Beer can be stored upright unless they have a wooden cork. In the rare case that the beer has a cork, store it in the fridge sideways. Most beer cannot be re-sealed like liquor and wine, so it’s best to try and enjoy the whole bottle in one sitting. This way you can ensure it doesn’t go warm or lose its fizziness. No one likes flat beer.

Beer should be stored at around 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit for best taste.

So, when you see a deal you cannot refuse on your favourite alcohol beverages, don’t hesitate. Storing alcohol isn’t as difficult as you make think. You can also get really fancy with storage facilities like a globe drinks cabinet or hand crafted wine racks. The perfect storage touch that is bound to impress your guests.